Lamp socket for tubular fluorescent lamps



H. L. GOEBEL 2,510,628

LAMP SOCKET FOR TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS June 6, 1950 Filed March s, 1946 J/VENTJR. HWY/VAN A 5055a ATTURNE).

Patented June 6, 1950' I v UNITED. STATES LAMP SOCKET roa CENT TUBULAR FLUORES LAMPS PATIENT carica- Herman L. Goebel, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Inter national Molded Plastics, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. I l

a corporation of Ohio Application March 8, 1948, Serial No. 652,986

a socket construction of the type referred to wherein the lamp may be inserted readily into and positioned in the socket and positively locked therein to prevent unwarranted displacement thereof. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a lampsocket housing having means therein to positively engage terminal prongs on a lamp when the lamp is rotatable relative to said housing in either direction for'a predetermined distance into abutment with positive stops formed in said socket.

Another object of .the invention isto provide a lamp socket of moldable, material with integral means to bind a plurality of spring contacts therein firmly.

Another object isto provide a one-piece lamp socket body having spring contact tensioning means therein eifective to urge a plurality of contacts into electrical contact with terminal prongs projected through opening in said body.

Another object is to provide a lamp socket with a slotted receiving opening having a relatively wide entrance to facilitate the insertion of a plurality of terminal prongs carriedon a lamp mounted therein.

Another object is to provide a socket for electric lamps which is not expensive to manufacture and which is rugged in construction, easy to assemble and highly efiicient in use.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment and the- 2 Claims. (Cl. 113-323) Fig. 2 is an elev sockets.

Fig. 3 is an end view of said socket.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the socket, on an enlarged scale, looking at the rear side thereof with the backing plate removed.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line l--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, an electrical discharge device,

ational view of one of the such as a fluorescent lamp ll of well known conprinciple thereof and which is considered to be and mounting sockets embodying features of the invention.

struction, is shown with its ends mounted in a pair of identical sockets l2 embodying the features of the present invention. The lamp I i consists of a tube of transparent material having end plates l3 hermetically sealed to the ends thereof, and a pair of terminal contact prongs M projecting outwardly from each end plate I3. The terminal prongs it constitute means for conducting electricity to the filamentary electrode (not shown) contained within the lamp and aflord means for securely mounting said lamp in the sockets I: in such manner that the lamp may be easily inserted or removed therefrom while at the same time be securely held against unintended displacement.

The sockets l2 are mounted in spaced relation upon a suitable support l5, or the like, as by means of screws it which extend through the base portion ll of each socket and receive nuts II on the projecting ends thereof. Inasmuch as the' sockets are identical in their construction, the description will concern itself with the specific structure of one of these sockets.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the socket l2 includes the base portion l1 and a body portion .IB which extends upwardly therefrom and is of smaller cross-sectional area than the area of the base ll. The socket preferably is fashioned in one piece from moldable material such as Bakelite, or the like, and the body portion l9 includes a front wall 2| having side walls 22 and an end wall 23 extending rearwardly'from the front wall to provide a relatively shallow housing structure.

I The side walls 22 are integrally'joined with rearwardly extending top and side walls 2'4 on 'the base I1, and a centrally-located longitudinal rib 25 is fashioned on the back face of the front wall 2|, which rib is substantially coextensive with the combined length of the body I9 and base l1.

A pair of diametrically opposed arcuate slots 26 are provided in the front wall 2! of the body por-,

tion It inwardly of the upper end thereof, said slots bridging the longitudinal rib 25. A straight slot 21, also provided in the front wall 2| of the body and extending into the rib 25, intersects both arcuate slots 26 midway between their ends and opens into the upper end of the body l9. As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the open end of the straight slot 21 is flared, as at 28, for a purpose to be described hereinafter. It should be noted at this time that the respective end of the arcuate slots 26 are spaced apart to provide transverse bridge portions 3| connecting the semicircular ribbed wall portions 32, within the confines of said slots, with the front wall 2| of the body.

The base portion l1 of the lamp socket is provided on its inside faces with two pairs of shoulders 33 which are adapted to have rested firmly thereagainst leg portions 34 extending substantially at right angles from one end of a pair of spring contact elements 35 arranged within the hollow portion of the body l9. These leg portions afford means for electrically connecting the socket with a current source or with an auxiliary fixture of conventional construction (not shown). Upon referring to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the spring contact elements 35 extend upwardly,

one on either side of the rib 25, and are suitably formed adjacent their upper ends with arcuately shaped portions 36 and outwardly flared ends 31. The arcuately shaped portions are disposed substantially to the rear of the end areas of the arcuate slots 26, and normally said portions rest against shoulders 38, one formed on the back face of each transverse bridge portion 3|.

When a lamp is to be mounted in the sockets l 2, the terminal contact prongs 14 thereof are held position the prongs l4 at diametrically opposed ends of the slots 25. When the prongs are carried into this position they are brought into contact with the spring contact elements 35 which are urged outwardly transversely a distance sumcient to enable the prongs to pass onto the end areas of the arcuate portions 33 thereof, whereupon the inherent resiliency of the spring contacts urges them inwardly to position portions thereof in the path of the prongs l4 so as to prevent unintended movement of the prongs away from the ends of the slots 26. Such retention-of the prongs is greatly facilitated by providing slight enlargements or protuberances 39 at the ends of the arcuate portions 36 of the spring contacts.

Thetension of the spring contacts 35 is materially increased due to the formation of a pair of lugs ll on the inside face of the front wall 2|. These lugs have their inwardly disposed ends in substantial alignment with the normal position of the spring contacts 35 when the latter are relieved of tension upon the removal of prongs ll.

However, when the lamp is in place withthe minal contacts 35, and said locking engagement may be overcome easily upon rotating the lamp in a direction to align the two prongs It with the straight slot 21. The presence of the bridge portions 3| at the effective ends of the arcuate slots 26 prevents excessive rotation of the lamp into such positions as might result in an incomplete or defective circuit being maintained between the prongs and spring terminal contacts. These positive stops for the prongs also serve to assure the operator that the lamp has been rotated sufficiently to insure contact and to prevent its displacement.

Although an exemplary form of socket construction has been shown in the drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the socket may embody a variety of modifications in detail construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A socket for electric lamps comprising a body of insulating material, said body being provided in a face thereof with a straight slot opening into one end of said body, and two pairs of opposed arcuate slots with each pair spaced'by a bridge and connecting with said straight slot, said bridges being disposed at right angles to said straight slot, and spring terminal contacts mounted in said body adjacent said arcuate slots, one on each side of said straight slot.

2. In a socket for electrical lamps having a pair of spaced contact pins at each end thereof, a body of insulating material having in one face thereof a straight slot opening into one end 'of said body, and two pairs of opposed arcuate slots with each pair spaced by a bridge and connecting with said straight slot, said bridges being disposed at right angles to said slot.

- HERMAN L. GOEBEL.

REFERENCES CITED The, following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,238,152 Alden Apr. 15, 1941 2,262,091 Bryant Nov. 11, 1941 2,297,738 Beal Oct. 6, 1942 2,303,156 Bryant et al Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 113,333 Austria of 1941 

